Advertisement
Advertisement
|
Home :: More Career Profiles
Academic Pharmacist |
Career OverviewAn academic pharmacist is a trained, experienced and highly educated pharmacist that returns to educate and teach upcoming pharmacists in a university or medical school. These academic pharmacists are not only faculty members but they also continue to work, complete research and public awareness as well as provide patient care.
An academic pharmacist must have a strong background in the profession and be able to clearly understand the issues that new pharmacists must face when they enter the workforce. An academic pharmacist will need to be creative, informative, and up-to-date or regulations and laws regarding medicine and medical treatments.
In addition to teaching most academic pharmacist also participate in research projects and become published pharmacists. This research can be in any area of pharmacy or pharmaceutical development and often leads to the academic pharmacist becoming highly qualified and experienced in one or more fields.
An academic pharmacist should be fluent in both teaching methods and research procedures. Academic pharmacists should have the ability to design, implement, monitor and track research using appropriate methodologies. Good understanding of databases, technology and use of research protocol is also desirable.
An academic pharmacist usually has standard teaching hours although there may be some evening and weekend requirements. Most academic pharmacists work at larger universities through the United States and are usually close to major centers.
|
Career RequirementsAn academic pharmacist requires a degree in pharmacy, usually a four-year degree called a Pharm. D or Doctor of Pharmacy. In addition an academic pharmacist must have practical experience in the field as well as research background.
Most academic pharmacists are also licensed in the state that they are teaching and this requires completion of the North American Pharmacist Licensure Exam (NAPLX), and some states also required the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Exam of MPJE which tests for knowledge of the legal aspects of pharmaceutical work.
|
Advertisement
|
Job OutlookThe American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy or AACP reports that there will be a significant demand for academic pharmacists now and in the upcoming years. A survey done in 2002 indicated that there where 417 teaching vacancies in schools of pharmacy across the United States. This trend is expected to continue for several years with no marked decrease in the vacancies.
|
Career TrackAcademic pharmacists can move into research based careers and teach on a part-time basis. Some academic pharmacists may also become department heads or become Deans and supervisors of both faculty and research staff.
An academic pharmacist has many options including providing training programs for pharmacists currently in the workplace and consulting with various agencies and organizations that employ pharmacists.
|
CompensationAn academic pharmacist can earn a salary that is comparable to a pharmacist working in a smaller center or pharmacy. Most academic pharmacists earn between $74,000 and $90,000 per year and work significantly less hours than do other groups of pharmacists, especially those that own their own pharmacies.
|
|